West Indian X1

 

I’ve picked a Windies side from players who featured in the John Player League, couple of guidelines:

 

1) minimum 50 appearances

Ruling out the likes of Roy Marshall, Michael Holding, Roy Fredericks, Roger Harper, Colin Croft, Lance Gibbs, Dennis Marriott (who holds a JPL record for most 5-wkt hauls in a season; 4 in 1973), Larry Gomes, Collis King, Ezra Moseley and Lawrence Rowe - a fair side in its own right!

 

2) selection based on JPL stats/performances only, so not just a matter of selecting the major players from the Test side of 70s/80s

(the batting proved much simpler to select than the all-rounders and bowlers, just too many fantastic players!)

 

GORDON GREENIDGE simply has to open the batting. No one scored more JPL centuries (10), he made 2 of the highest innings scores in the history of the competition (163*, 162*), 4th highest run scorer (6,049 at 37.33), 131 career sixes (2nd).

Namesake Geoff Greenidge appeared in 79 matches, averaging a shade under 20, but it was a close call to between Ron Headley (109 matches, 3,273 runs at 34.09) and ROHAN KANHAI (91 matches, 2,631 runs at 34.62), with the Guyanese getting the nod.

The next 3 players in the batting order boast 17 JPL centuries between them (and over 100 wickets!)

VIV RICHARDS made 4,745 runs at 38.57, with 7 centuries, 146 career sixes (a JPL record), 26 sixes in a season (JPL record), scored 34 from a single over (JPL record) and can also boast 70 wickets at 25.11 including a hat-trick; fair to say he merits a place!

ALVIN KALLICHARRAN’s 4,204 runs were at an average of 30.46 and included 4 centuries. The left hander created a formidable partnership at Warwickshire with Dennis Amiss, where they shared 7 JPL centuries.

The next choice, another left hander, will also surprise nobody. CLIVE LLOYD is 11th on the JPL run scorers list, 5,198 at 39.67 with 6 tons. His 131 career sixes put him 4th, and he can throw in 36 wickets at under 26.

 

My wicketkeeper choice could have gone either way, and I ultimately picked the lesser known player. Deryck Murray played 62 JPL games, highest score 65*, averaging 21.21 with the bat and claiming 56 catches with 4 stumpings. LONSDALE SKINNER made 3 half-centuries in his 68 appearances, highest score 70 and average of 18.71 to go with 52 catches and 12 stumpings.

 

So with relatively few selection headaches thus far, time to choose the all rounders and bowlers.

Garfield Sobers is an all-time great of the game (the greatest?) but his 1,549 runs at 30.37 and 68 wickets at 22.72 (62 matches) can’t secure him a place in my JPL side. Kent boasted two quality West Indian all rounders through the 70s and 80s. Bernard Julien, from Trinidad, played 57 matches, 762 runs at 21.73 and 60 wickets at 25.87, whilst Antiguan Eldine Baptiste clocked up 689 runs at 17.66 and 62 wickets at 25.50, from 4 matches fewer than Julien.

KEITH BOYCE holds the record for best bowling figures in the JPL (8-26), reached 100 wickets in fewer innings than anyone else in the competition (50) and was the first to achieve the 1,000runs/100wkts double. His 1,677 runs (average 17.84) and 179 wickets at just 15.19 secure him a place in the side.

Norbert Phillip was an underrated member of the successful Essex team, contributing with bat (1,515 runs at 19.17 and 134 wickets at 21.48, with BB 6-13) across 111 JPL matches, however ahead of him I have chosen JOHN SHEPHERD. A magnificent performer across 208 matches, his 265 wickets (average 21.40) were only bettered by 4 bowlers, and he made 2,952 runs @ 23.61

 

In all honesty, any 3 of the following bowlers could easily have been selected, so the choice inevitably comes down to personal preference. Basing purely on JPL performance, it feels incredibly harsh to exclude Sylvester Clarke (77 wkts), Malcolm Marshall (86), Andy Roberts (93), Joel Garner (101) and Tony Cordle (150).

Hailing from Barbados, VANBURN HOLDER’s 120 JPL games accrued 176 wickets at the impressive average of 16.87

One of the most popular players in the history of the JPL was HALLAM MOSELEY. He is 9th on the list of wicket-takers, 222 at 20.23 and was always a smiling presence on the field of play.

The final slot goes to WAYNE DANIEL. His 116 appearances yielded 157 wickets at 18.52, Mike Selvey describing the problems he posed “from wickedly just-back-of-a-length, he bowled the heaviest of balls, which jarred the bat sufficiently to loosen a batsman’s fillings.”

 

My West Indian select team to take on all-comers over 40 overs per side at any JPL venue is, therefore:

 

1. Gordon Greenidge (Barbados)

2. Rohan Kanhai (Guyana)

3. Viv Richards (Antigua)

4. Alvin Kallicharran (Guyana)

5. Clive Lloyd (Guyana) CAPT.

6. John Shepherd (Barbados)

7. Keith Boyce (Barbados)

8. Lonsdale Skinner (Guyana). W/K

9. Vanburn Holder (Barbados)

10. Hallam Moseley (Barbados)

11. Wayne Daniel (Barbados)